Clear Lake Dike 1

About Clear Lake Dike 1

The primary purpose of Clear Lake Dike 1 is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Lost River near Perez.

The dam stands 13 feet tall and stretches 1,600 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 23,960 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 597,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 735 square miles. Completed in 1910, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/04/2022.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The California dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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